The Jungle Book
by Lady Flames
Summary: Many strange legends are told of these jungles of India. But none so strange as the story of a small boy named Mowgli. It all began when the silence of the jungle was broken by an unfamiliar sound... R&R! NEW CHAPTER!
1. Prologue

_Well, looky here! A parody! I never thought I'd write one of these things... but here I am! Anyway, enjoy!_

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_**Disclaimer: I don't own YGO, or Disney, or the origional Jungle Book_

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_**Yami padded softly across the leaf-littered ground, leaping carefully into a tree and settling himself on a wide branch. From his position, he could see the village, and all the man-things going about their daily business. He watched for a long time, a strangely sad look in his eyes. A tall young man came out of the village gate, whistling a cheerful tune. A woman ran after him. 

"No… Tristan, you can't go out there! It's dangerous!"

"Serenity, calm down… I know my way around the jungle. Don't worry."

"Of course I worry – what if… what if Marik – ?"

"I'll be fine, Serenity, I promise."

"I'm not just worried about that…" The woman touched her strangely swollen stomach tenderly. "I don't want our baby to grow up without a father!"

Tristan's face softened, and he put his arms around his small wife, enveloping her. "Okay," he said gently, steering her back into the village. "I wont go." He knelt by his wife's stomach and said light-heartedly, "You win, little man!"

"We don't know that yet."

"I have a feeling…"

"You and your feelings!" laughed Serenity as they walked through the gate and disappeared from sight.

Yami sighed, got to his feet and stretched. He leapt lightly from the tree and stalked back into the heart of the jungle. He jumped over a log and continued walking, lost in thought.

Yami stumbled, tripping over his paws as the face of a large bear came into his sightline.

The bear's face broke into a huge smile. "Yami, hey." The rest of the bear emerged from within a bush.

"Oh, no," Yami groaned. "Not _you_."

"Oh, that's nice, that's real nice Yami. Great way to treat your friend!"

"Sorry." Yami looked at his paws. "I was just…"

"Thinking?" asked the bear, standing up on his hind paws. "Man, you do to much of that… you gotta learn to just let things…"

"Flow. I know." Yami rolled his eyes. "As… inspiring… as your theory may be, it's not quite going to work."

"You went there again!" The bear's happy-go-lucky tone became flat. "I know you did. Yami, if I've told you once I've told you a thousand times – it's dangerous!"

Yami got to his feet. "And so what if it is? I can take care of myself." He began to stalk away.

"Now, wait – wait, Yami. Please. I didn't mean it that way and… and you know it."

Yami stopped. "Sorry, Joey," he sighed, turning around. "Got a little…"

"Carried away?"

Yami smiled. "Not _quite_ what I had in mind, but close enough."

"Thought you'd say that. Hey, Yami, the wolf cub were looking for you earlier."

"The wolf cubs? Whatever _for_?"

"How should I know? Nobody ever tells the _bear_ anything."

Yami laughed and gestured with a paw for his friend to follow him.

When they reached the Wolf Den, they heard a loud whoop of delight, followed by a cub flying right at them. He bounced off of Joey's stomach and flopped to the ground. He looked up nervously at the two friends.

"Sam!" An angry-looking female wolf burst out of the cave, and stalked over to her cub. "Sorry, Yami… Joseph…" She picked up her cub in her mouth and placed him at the entrance to the Cave. "Go inside. I'll deal with you later," she growled, and then turned to face the visitors.

"Sorry to bother you, Jhazeera, but I heard your cub were looking for me?"

Jhazeera nodded. "They were… until they decided to play catapult."

Yami chuckled. "Would it be getting in the way of punishment if I spoke to them for a while?"

The she-wolf smiled. "No, not at all. Children, come outside… Uncle Yami's here to see you!"

"And me?" asked Joey, pretending to sound offended.

"Uncle Joey!" yelled several high-pitched voices, cutting off their mother. The cubs bounded out of the cave and raced to the bear.

They stopped dead when they saw Yami.

"Uh, Uncle Yami!" said one cub politely. "Thank you for coming."

Jhazeera looked pointedly at the other cubs, shining a rare smile on the polite one.

The cubs dutifully repeated what their sister had said, and then they turned back to Joey. Yami laughed, but there was sadness in his eyes. He could remember another young cub who had done that, once…

"Tell us a story, Uncle Joey!"

"A story?" The bear scratched his head. "I don't know any stories…"

"What about the story of Tristan?" piped up the polite cub, hopefully.

"That story, I know!" exclaimed the bear. "I was _there_, you know. I was the one who started it all!"

"Were you?" asked Yami, raising his eyebrows.

"We-ell," conceded Joey. "Yami was the one who found the little tyke, but _I_ taught him how to be a bear!"

"But he wasn't a bear. He was a man."

"Yami, stop interrupting and let me tell the story! Okay, so once upon a time there was this bear…"

"Joey! You're telling it all wrong. Any minute now you're going to say that _you_ fought off Marik! Allow me." Yami sat down, and the cubs formed an obedient circle around him. Joey grumbled under his breath, but joined the circle, too.

Yami took a deep breath and began, his voice unconsciously taking on a storyteller's timbre. "_Many strange legends are told of these jungles of India. But none so strange as the story of a small boy named Mowgli. It all began when the silence of the jungle was broken by an unfamiliar sound_."

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_Well, feel free (wink, wink) to leave a review telling me what you think!_

_Fare Thee Well,  
Lady Flames_


	2. Chapter One

_I shall pretend that I have reviewers and update. Do you enjoy seeing me cry? -sniffle- But then again, I shouldn't be writing for the reviews... but anyway... those who read and don't review... enjoy. And review, this time! -growls-_

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**Disclaimer: Hah, like anyone reads this thing... anyway, for anyone who happens to actually stumble across this story, allow me to state here and now that I DO NOT own YGO, or Disney, or the Jungle Book.**_

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Yami padded through the forest, enjoying the sunlight, when all of a sudden he heard a baby's cry. He stopped dead and turned his head right and left trying to locate the source of this strange noise. _

_It was a sound like one never heard before in this part of the jungle_.

Yami climb up onto a log and followed its length to a small wicker basket sitting in the remains of a boat. He looked into the basket and was startled to see a small baby.

_It was a man-cub. Had I known how deeply I was to be involved, I would have obeyed my first impulse and walked away._

The baby stopped crying and began to giggle, reaching up to pull at Yami's whiskers. He began to walk away, but the baby started to hiccup and then began to cry again. Yami sighed and turned back, sitting on the edge of the log above the baby's basket. He smiled down at the now, once again, giggling child.

_This man-cub would have to have nourishment, and soon. It was many days travel to the nearest man-village, and without a mother's care he would soon perish. Then it occurred to me…_

A few moments later, Yami stood in the bushes by a clearing, watching five little wolf cubs playing in the sun by their mother.

_A family of wolves I knew had been blessed with a litter of cubs._

Yami watched the wolves walk into their lair and crept out of the bushes with the baby's basket in his mouth. He carefully placed the basket by the entrance to the cave and snuck away. The baby lay quietly in his basket, and Yami shook his head in irritation. He snuck out of his hiding place and nudged the basket with his paw, making the baby cry, and crept away. The mother wolf emerged from the cave, her cubs trailing uncertainly behind her. She looked at the squalling infant, sniffed him, and then smiled kindly.

_Why, there'd be no problem with the mother, thanks to maternal instinct, but I wasn't so sure about the father._

The father padded out of the forest and carefully looked into the basket. He looked up into the smiling face of his wife and back down at the baby, who giggled. He smiled, and carried the basket into their lair.

_Ten times the rains have come and gone. And I often stopped by to see how Tristan, the man-cub, was getting along. He was a favourite with all young wolf cubs of the pack._

Yami sat on a branch, watching Tristan walking along a path. Tristan suddenly flung back his head and howled, "Whoo-whoo-whooo!"

Several of the other cubs, now grown into adult wolves, ran into the clearing, knocking Tristan over and licking him playfully.

_No man-cub was ever happier. And yet... I knew that someday he would have to go back to his own kind. Then one night, the wolf pack elders met at Council Rock, because Marik, the tiger, had returned to their part of the jungle. This meeting was to change the man-cub's entire future._

The head wolf, Akela, was speaking to his Council."Marik will surely kill the boy and all who try to protect him. Now, are we all in agreement as to what must be done?"

The other wolves of the Council nodded gravely.

Akela sighed. "Now it is my unpleasant duty to tell the boy's father. Rama! Come over here, please."

The wolf padded carefully amongst the rocks and addressed the head wolf. "Yes, Akela?" His voice was somewhere between a bark and a sigh, respectful yet resigned.

Akela cleared his throat and spoke quietly, gently. "The Council has reached its decision. The man-cub can no longer stay with the pack. He must leave at once."

Rama gasped. "Leave?

Akela sighed and spoke. "I am sorry, Rama. There is no other way."

Rama's eyes widened, and he stuttered out, "But – but the man-cub is – is like my own son." He looked beseechingly at Akela. "Surely he's entitled to the protection of the pack?"

Akela sighed. "But Rama, even the strength of the pack is no match for the tiger."

Rama shook his head. "But the boy cannot survive alone in the jungle!"

That's where Yami stepped in. He had been sitting in the dead tree above the Council rock, listening attentively to all that had been said, but he had been silent until now. "Akela, perhaps I can be of help?"

Akela looked up. "You, Yami? How?"

Yami jumped elegantly down from his tree. "I know of a man-village where he'll be safe. Tristan and I have taken many walks into the jungle together. I'm sure he'll go with me."

Akela nodded. "So be it. Now there's no time to lose. Good luck."

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_Et voila._

_R&R!_


	3. Chapter Two

_The line-thingys are not working, so apologies in advance for any confuddlsion._

**Disclaimer: I owneth not yon YGO. Nor doth I owneth Disney's The Jungle Book.**

As Tristan rode on Yami's back through the thick jungle, he looked up at the darkening sky and yawned. "Yami, I'm getting a little sleepy. Shouldn't we start back home?"

Yami took a breath. "Mowgli, this time we're not going back. I'm taking you to a man-village."

"But why?" asked Tristan, startled.

"Because Marik has returned to this part of the jungle and he has sworn to kill you," said Yami, frankly.

"Kill me? But why would he wanna do that?"

Yami leapt over a fallen tree. "He hates men. And Marik is not going to allow you to grow up to become a man - just another hunter with a gun."

Tristan yawned again. "Uhh, we'll just explain him that I'd never do a thing like that."

Yami stopped and looked at his charge. "Nonsense! No one explains anything to Marik!"

"Well, maybe so. But I'm not afraid. And besides I – "

"Now that's enough," interrupted Yami, sitting to allow the young man-cub to dismount. "We'll spend a night here. Things will look better in the morning." He looked around and saw Tristan defiantly walking off. "Man-cub? Man-cub!"

He raced after him and found him making himself a bed of leaves on the jungle floor. He smiled indulgently, and nudged the boy back to the clearing where they'd stopped. "Now come on, up this tree. It's safer up there."

"Uh, I don't want to go back to the man-village," protested Tristan, but Yami was having none of it.

"Go on. Up you go."

"That limb way up there?" asked Tristan dubiously.

"Try," said Yami encouragingly.

Tristan proceeded to try and climb, failing miserably each time. He just couldn't seem to grip the slippery bark.

Yami couldn't hide his mirth. "Is that all the better you can climb?"

"It's too – it's too big around! And besides, I don't have any claws," protested Tristan, not appreciating being laughed at.

Yami walked over and began to give Tristan a boost. Tristan got halfway up the tree, slipped, and jabbed a foot into Yami's eye. Yami grunted and pushed harder, enabling Tristan to reach the branch. Finally. He joined his young charge in the tree, and lay down next to him on the branch.

"Now, get some sleep. We've got a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."

"Uh, I wanna stay in the jungle!" complained Tristan with a yawn.

Yami chuckled to himself. "Huh? Heh, you wouldn't last one day." He yawned and settled down to sleep.

"I am not afraid. I can look after myself," insisted Tristan, not looking at him.

The head of a boa constrictor appeared out of the foliage of the tree above Tristan's head, and snaked (for lack of a better term) down to Tristan's level. "Ss-say now, what have we here?" it hissed.

Tristan made a face and turned away. The boa constrictor moved to face him again.

"It's a man-cub. A delis-ss-cious man-cub."

"Oh, go away and leave me alone," snapped Tristan under his breath.

"Oh, that's just what I should do, but I'm not," said Yami, his eyes still closed. "Now, please, go to sleep, man-cub."

"Yes-ss, man-cub, please…" the boa contrictor's eyes became swirls of colour, and Tristan's gaze was drawn to them. "Go to sleep, please go to sleep… sleep little man-cub, rest in piece."

Tristan's gaze was locked on that of the snake. He was completely under its hypnotic spell. The serpants tail encircled him. "Sleep. Ss-sleep…"

"Ya -- , Ya – Yami!" The body of the snake coiled around Tristan's neck, cutting off his choked cry, making him gulp.

"Oh, no. Look, there's no use arguing anymore," Yami said, eyes remaining closed. "Now, no more talk 'till morning."

The snake chuckled. "He won't be here in the morning."

"Huh? Oh yes, he will ... Mai!" Yami opened his eyes and saw Mai moving Tristan into her open mouth. He batted her head away with a paw. "Hold it, Mai!"

"Ohhh, my sinus-ss," complained Mai. She rounded on Yami. "You have just made a ss-serious mistake, my friend. A very ss-stupid…" Mai began to advance, making Yami back away to the edge of the branch.

"Now, now, now, Mai, I was—"

"Misstake!" ended Mai.

Behind her, Tristan was climbing free of her loosened coils.

"Look me in the eye when I'm speaking to you," ordered Mai lazily, using the tip of her tail to turn Yami's head towards her.

"P - please, Mai…" stuttered Yami, one of his eyes locked on Mai and already beginning to swirl.

"Both eyes if you please." Mai pulled Yami's face totally around and looked at him. Both of his eyes began to swirl and he sat up, very straight and very still. Behind Mai, Tristan struggled with the heap of coiled boa on the branch.

"You have just ss-sealed your doom."

Tristan pushed the coils off of the branch, and the weight of them falling pulled the rest of Mai down. "Oooh!"

"Look, Yami! Heh-heh, look… Yami? Wake up, Yami." Tristan smacked Yami's cheeks lightly, in an effort to get him to snap out of his hypnosis.

Yami's eyes returned to normal. "Ah, duh, wha—"

"Just you wait 'til I get you in my coils," Mai muttered resentfully, slithering away. She suddenly jerked to a stop, as a knot in her tail got stuck between some bamboo stems.

"Yami, she's got a knot in her tail!" Tristan exclaimed with a grin, and began to laugh.

"Hee-hee-hee," Mai mocked. "She's got a knot in her tail." She yanked the knot free and groaned as she slithered away, "Ooo! This is going to slow down my slithering."

Tristan laughed, but stopped dead when he saw Yami's face.

" So you can look out for yourself, can you? So you want to stay in the jungle, do you?" Yami got to his feet, looking disapproving.

"Yes, I want to stay in the jungle!" said Tristan stubbornly.

"D'oh!" Yami rolled his eyes and settled down again. "Now for the last time, _go_ to _sleep_!"

Tristan settled down with his back against the tree, watching Yami get comfortable. Finally, even his eyes began to droop, and they both slept.

_Sorry about the long delay... internet problems, exams, and a bloody huge freakin' project!_

_Anyway, reviews are encouraged! -grin- Thanks for reading._


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